Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the Fair Work Amendment (Restoring Penalty Rates) Bill 2018. The government's penalty rates cuts have hit regional Victorian workers very hard, hurting the standard of living of over 147,000 Victorians. Under this government, over 15,000 McEwen residents who are working in retail, fast food, pharmacy and hospitality are worse off. Our electorate of McEwen is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. But, while we are growing, we also have amongst the lowest income levels. One in six working residents of McEwen work in the retail and hospitality industries. That means that one in six people in McEwen are up to $3,273 a year worse off under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government penalty rate cuts.

Across my electorate I've spoken to countless residents who are concerned about this government's cruel cuts to penalty rates. Not only are they concerned for their own futures, but many parents and grandparents come up and say that they're worried about what's in store for their kids. They ask how their kids are going to be able to afford to buy a home, put food on the table or afford a holiday or some of life's little luxuries, when they go to work and, through this government's action, their penalty rates have been cut. Time and time again it's the older generation who are standing up for the younger generation and watching them get less and less under this government. They're wondering about what happens to families already under financial stress with the high cost of living and the high cost of housing. They see them having to work two and three jobs just to make ends meet. They're wondering whether, with all these cuts—the government's war on hardworking Australians—their grandchildren will ever be able to afford retirement. It is heartbreaking. This government is happy to throw future generations under the bus, to make them struggle to get off the ground in an environment where they're on the back foot from day one.

Everyday Australians are working tirelessly in our communities to make ends meet, yet the government has no problem in ripping money out of their back pockets—no problem at all. Let's remember that, at the time this was happening, those opposite gave themselves a tax cut of a minimum of $8,000—$8,000 to the highest paid workers in the land—and they took away penalty rates for hardworking Australians on low to middle incomes. It's an absolute disgrace, but it is what we've seen and come to expect from a government that cares nothing about ordinary Australians. Penalty rates affect real people in every corner of Australia, and the government refuses to open its eyes to the damage it's doing. We all know that the Liberals mantra to people suffering is, 'Just get a better job; get rich parents'. That doesn't work in the real world. We on this side understand not only that that is not always possible but also that we rely on workers doing these jobs. We understand that those working in retail, hospitality, fast food or even pharmacies may be holding down two or three jobs at a time just to pay the bills. We understand that those industries are here to stay and, for that, we must ensure that workers who are away from their homes and families on Sundays, who work hard to serve us on our days off, get a fair go.

When my father worked at the Herald Sun printing room, which he did for over 35 years, he would go to bed after a full night's work just as we were getting up in the morning. During my time at the RACV driving tow trucks, I worked Christmas Day and countless weekends—day shifts and night shifts. I know firsthand how difficult it is and the impact it has when you miss out on family birthdays or Christmas events—all the things that normal people get to share. Working unsocial hours just to put food on the table takes a toll. It means giving up normal family life, missing out on what we in Australia value, but for many in our community it's the only way they can afford to live.

The government have had countless opportunities to protect penalty rates and, each time, they have voted against them. If we keep this government around, Australian workers in retail, fast food, hospitality and pharmacy will continue to have their penalty rates cut—next July, the July after that and the July after that. Everything is going up in Australia, except wages. It's not good enough. Time and time again we hear the government say, 'We respect the independent umpire.' But just ask the thousands of truck drivers who had the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the independent umpire, taken away. They'll tell you that the government believe in nothing but looking after their rich mates and bankers. You've only to look at what they've done in government. At every single opportunity they've attacked workers and families for the benefit of the big end of town and banks. Enough is enough! Australians, right across the land, are calling for an election now to end the mess that is this conservative government.

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